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Before June, I\u2019m hoping some decent weather will hit, but it\u2019s clearly not happening this week. Today was pleasant, but all week it\u2019s been a roller coaster of either too dry, too cold, or Wyoming-windy. A few days ago, I decided the front yard could no longer have the appearance of the county landfill, so I took a few minutes to clean up everything the Puppy snuck outside and demolished \u2013 pool noodles, paper plates, socks. Also, I needed to pick up Puppy grenades.<\/span><\/p>\n I didn\u2019t even get half of the job finished before some serious wind picked up. The leaves I had gathered went flying all over the yard when I tried to put them in the trash can. The paper plate pieces flew around and were hard to catch. And the grenades? Well, I could\u2019ve weathered the storm for that portion of the chore, but I gave up since the wind prevented the trash can from remaining upright for more than one or two poop scoops.<\/span><\/p>\n The rest of the story involving wind is rather comedic. It involves me trying to take my frail mother to the doctor, in a truck, in up to 86 mph winds. That\u2019s hurricane level winds, people. My Mom weighs more than me by quite a bit. And the wind, bless it, would blow its hardest the second I opened the door to help Mom out. It was a miracle our bodies, fingers, swirling hair, or purse handles were not slammed in the door. Thankfully, by the skin of our dirt-filled teeth, we made it out of the truck without incident. Walking into the office wasn\u2019t any less embarrassing, as we struggled against gusts of wind that nearly knocked us over. First Mom, then me, as I tried to keep her from biffing it.<\/span><\/p>\n The ladies at the front desk were laughing, I know it. But they had pulled themselves together by the time the two ladies and their bad hair arrived.<\/span><\/p>\n Back to the yard. Whilst practicing my poop scooping skills, I noticed my orange tulips had come up. Tulips are my favorite flower, so I thorougly enjoy the entire twelve hours they decide to poke their little heads out here in the Rocky Mountain region. Okay, more than twelve hours, but it seems even shorter than that some years. This year is no exception, because though they\u2019ve bloomed, they\u2019re closed off. They don\u2019t like cold. They don\u2019t like wind. They don\u2019t like it here much at all, really, and it\u2019s a wonder they survive. Understandably, they protect themselves against the harshest of weather, because \u2026 well I think because they\u2019re smart. Or rather, their Maker is smart. When it\u2019s sunny and warm, their petals will once again open and be receptive to the world.<\/span><\/p>\n Well I kept scooping a few grenades, and then I thought \u2026 <\/span>ya\u2019 know, I\u2019m basically a tulip.<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n When my environment is harsh and unwelcoming, I clam up. My mouth closes, as does my heart. When I\u2019m hurting \u2013 physically, mentally, emotionally, or spiritually \u2013 the closing off just happens. I don\u2019t will it. I don\u2019t even think about it. Like the tulip\u2019s closing, it comes natural. If I don\u2019t fight the urge, I will indeed start living like a mountain woman. No TV. No internet. No church. No phone calls. No transportation of any kind. No doctor\u2019s appointments! No relationships other than comforting ones. And no shaving my armpit hair.<\/span><\/p>\n Kidding!<\/span><\/p>\n This isn\u2019t Telluride, folks.<\/span><\/p>\n So what\u2019s my point?<\/span><\/p>\n My point is, <\/span>I\u2019m <\/span><\/i>not <\/i><\/b>a tulip.<\/span><\/i> I\u2019m a female human being. It\u2019s popular in today\u2019s world to identify as someone or something else. But though we choose to sometimes live in a fantasy world, the truth is, God has made us either male or female (Gen. 5:2), and <\/span>human<\/span><\/i>. The other truth is that all humans have a need for community. I will even go one further and say that people thrive <\/span>best<\/span><\/i> in community \u2013 particularly God\u2019s community. That is, church.<\/span><\/p>\n Church is supposed to be a hospital for the spiritually sick, which would be all of us. That is the condition of humanity: we are all spiritual sick and in need of the Great Physician. If the church functions as it should, it is where the sick are first accepted, then saved, then healed, then eventually thriving for the cause of Christ, so others might experience the same. It\u2019s a wonderful cycle that needs to keep on keeping on. In order for that to happen, I (and maybe you?) need to quit identifying as tulips. We need to open up \u2013 rain or shine.<\/span><\/p>\n It\u2019s difficult. On a scale of one to ten, ten being the most introverted, I consider myself a nine. As a child, I was painfully shy. I\u2019m surprised I got through kindergarten without pooping my pants every day. Or first or second or third. Going through papers the other night, I found my high school diploma and marveled that I was ever able to complete that many years of school without dying of a heart attack. No wonder I had open heart surgery after I graduated!<\/span><\/p>\n Seriously though. If I had my druthers, I\u2019d almost always choose to be alone. I like people, and I don\u2019t say that flippantly. I am being honest. But people also drain me, quickly \u2013 especially when I\u2019m struggling physically, which is daily, but not necessarily hourly (it\u2019s complicated).<\/span><\/p>\n Still, the Great Commission is the Great Commission. As Christians, we are commanded by Christ to <\/span>Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that He has commanded us.\u00a0<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n Thankfully, God remembers I am but dust, and He gives me opportunities to do my part in fulfilling the Great Commission here at Patheos. I\u2019ve no idea who my readers are. But I know you\u2019re out there, reading, considering, thinking through Scripture. Writing is a way for me to be God\u2019s megaphone \u2013 to shout the truth the best I know how \u2013 given the limits He has ordained for my life.<\/span><\/p>\n I go to church anytime I can possibly make it through the service without getting too sick. My house is akin to Grand Central Station many days. If family or friends aren\u2019t visiting, there\u2019s always Mom to minister to, whether by taking her to the doctor in hurricane winds, answering her theological questions, or calming her fears with Scripture.<\/span><\/p>\n Oh, and Facebook, of course. We musn\u2019t forget all the conversations I have there, on statuses or in private messages. I am being a wee bit sarcastic, but truly, some of the deepest, most challenging conversations I have are over private messages, emails, or texts. My introverted self wants to chuck my phone into the next week sometimes! But I haven\u2019t yet because as a chronically ill Pastor\u2019s wife, it\u2019s often the best way I can minister to others without draining myself and being forced to resign to the sickbed for two days.<\/span><\/p>\n Example: as I \u201cspeak\u201d, I am battling a migraine and migraines (at least in my case) escalate quickly if I get cold, or if I talk. I can still think, somewhat, sometimes. But I cannot talk. And yet here I am, with the Lord\u2019s help, \u201ctalking\u201d to you about the Great Commission. And dog grenades, which I hope you will forgive.<\/span><\/p>\n God is great. I believe He\u2019s placed me in the era of internet. Facebook, blogging, texting, and private messaging for a reason. Would I rather be living on the prairie in the late 1800\u2019s or early 1900\u2019s. Yes! I\u2019m all for calico dresses and bonnets and living out in the boonies where it\u2019s quiet, where the buffalos roam, and where company comes at most once a week, but probably more like once every two months. Oh, and where freeway driving and phone beeps aren\u2019t a thing. <\/span> Nobody\u2019s asking introverts to be extroverts. However, every Christian should be doing their part in fulfilling the Great Commission. Though it is difficult living as an introvert in a culture that expects extrovertedness, I\u2019m grateful God has provided avenues for me to witness, disciple, and commune. And I\u2019m grateful those avenues are conducive not only to the way He has hard-wired me, but also to the trials He has ordained for my life.<\/span><\/p>\n I\u2019m confident He can do the same for you. <\/span><\/p>\n<\/body><\/html>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Before June, I\u2019m hoping some decent weather will hit, but it\u2019s clearly not happening this week. Today was pleasant, but all week it\u2019s been a roller coaster of either too dry, too cold, or Wyoming-windy. A few days ago, I decided the front yard could no longer have the appearance of the county landfill, so […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2920,"featured_media":607,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[509,497,506,108,503,500,49,23],"class_list":["post-1931","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized","tag-extroverts","tag-internet","tag-introverts","tag-peace","tag-quiet","tag-simple-living","tag-the-great-commission","tag-tv"],"yoast_head":"\n
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\n<\/span>Admittedly, I romanticize that time frame in history. You catch my drift, though. I value peace, quiet, and a simple life. But never should I be \u201ca rock or an island, hiding in my room, safe within my womb, where I touch no one and no one touches me.\u201d Paul Simon\u2019s lyrics and music may be catchy, but identifying and therefore acting like rocks and islands (and tulips) is not living in obedience to Christ.<\/span><\/p>\n